Newton Cradle
Open with main menu g, then Games 5.
A five-ball Newton's cradle simulation. The steel balls swing under gravity, transfer momentum through constrained impulse collisions, and lose energy gradually through light air damping and near-elastic impacts.
Screenshots
Shortcuts
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
1 / 2 / 3 | Release that many balls from the left |
Space / GO | Replay the current launch |
r | Reset to a one-ball launch |
Simulation and rendering
- Fixed-length pendulum constraints, gravitational angular acceleration, and time-based air damping.
- Contacts use constrained effective mass; alternating impulse passes propagate momentum through the row within one frame.
- Polished steel balls use per-pixel sphere-normal lighting, an environment reflection band, and specular highlights.
- Metal supports, twin suspension wires, a walnut base, and height-dependent workbench shadows complete the scene.